


Alone

by Farraway



Series: Hellspawn [2]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Angst and Humor, Fluff, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3693392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farraway/pseuds/Farraway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it. Even if it makes you a little bit insane.</p><p>(...)</p><p>( But it was enough for Rin.</p><p>At least for some time. )</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gravely showndown

Beep - Beep

Beep - Beep

Beep - Beep

A steady high-pitched sound was filling chilly hospital wing.

The monotony of it was tedious if not boring-to-death. However the-only two occupants didn't mind, never really hearing any of it. Big, back-in-the-days almost always full hospital wing, now was holding only them – two teenagers comatose to the world, both healing slowly in aftermath of the latest events.

From behind big, rectangle windows first streams of sun were falling inside the room.

Beep - Beep

Beep - Beep

Beep - Beep

Beep - Beeeeeeeee-

Beep - ...

Beep

Beep

* * *

 **{7 months later** _as the life_ went on **}**

This time, it was a last straw for him, as he snapped - very loudly and wordy - as he always did. His superior – Mephisto Pheles, who looked bored as ever – stood nonchalantly in the rain. Ah, the rain – always the rain. The situation seemed very much like a repeat of the event that happened few months back – minus the burning of blue flames.

Slow but steady drizzle kept on falling from white-grey sky adding to the gloominess of the sight.

On one side stood he - Mephisto Pheles, tall and arrogant like ever. In his hand a white-pink fluffy umbrella kept him dry from sky drops that unmercifully would drench him in a wink. However he didn't pay an eyelash to them, his slant eyes boring into another pair, that were as undeterred as he himself was.

On the other side was thus slouched – yes, _slouched_ – one of the latter Okumura twins. His posture spoke volumes with his wild eyes almost holding a promise of impending bloodshed, his hands fisted and ready to strike first person that would stand in his way and flaming anger in the tone of his voice.

Because he, Rin Okumura kept silent for too long now.

And just as that kettle that was reaching it's peak so was he. Rin, he kept to himself too much emotional baggage for the past seven months, twelve days, fourteen hours and eleven minutes. But just as that kettle was finally boiling, he too snapped.

Gone were his fake smiles and happy-go-lucky attitude, gone was that teenager everybody knew and liked.

Gone was the Rin that had younger twin.

Thus before Mephisto Pheles stood new, crippled version of Rin Okumura – son of Satan, the _only_ Okumura – that actually only now dropped his act, when the emotions overlapped too thickly, too much and he couldn't hold his own any more.

And so, Rin glared with hatred at his mentor, shouting and spitting his every being towards him.

"Give him back! Give... me... my... brother... back! Yukio..!"

Ones of many, many words that spilled from his mouth however stayed just as words, as you couldn't bring back the dead.

Mephisto's eyes hardened somehow upon such an act on Rin's side, he honestly didn't expect such malice from _this_ Okumura, even after months from _the day_. Oh, okay... so yes, maybe he _did_ but not at such range. Of course he didn't like the way young half-demon kept on calling him names and blaming for his own – personal – loss but then after reminiscing the last few months he couldn't help but smile a very creepy smile hence incoming bad-mouthing.

"We both know it's not possible Rin-kun" he provoked ired Okumura, who's teeth were bared in a very ugly snarl. "Okumura-sensei is gone and there is nothing you can do about it but move on."

Sensing the challenge in the air, Rin only clutched his fists tighter. Strikingly unwelcoming pain soared inside his chest – no, his _soul_ itself – spreading like a plague in a whim. His breathing became shallower, quicker. Bared teeth were pointy as ever, his ears almost changing into his full-demon form but there was none of the blue flames that he would-be sporting by now if not for his self-conciousness... or rather his _lack_ of self-control.

One only now would realise that young Okumura was lacking his all-time-wearable sword. Kurikara that was tucked securely underneath his bed – _in his room number 602, that still held too many memories, ones that he couldn't stand alone any more_ – cracked and not-ever-again holding his true self imprisoned within.

The blue flames were roaming free within him, finally making him whole, complete – but without the person that belonged by his side.

"No, I don't believe you, stupid bastard clown! _I am_ a Satan's son, _I am_ a half-demon _and I will go_ to Gehenna and back again just to bring Yukio back!"

"Tche..."

Mephisto tsked lightly upon hearing more and more of the nonsense young Okumura kept on spilling. It was a laughable debate on Rin's side, more of a monologue really. And Mephisto really, really wanted to burst out laughing but a tiny thought kept on nagging at him, reminding at the same time that this half-demon before him actually managed to face their real father and live thorough the ordeal.

Well, that put a kink in his perfect plan.

"Fine then, be it your way" he spoke, shrugging-their-conversation off. He glanced from a corner of his eyes at young demon, who still needed to learn so much but was already on the good way to do it. He smirked crookedly then turned around, stepping ahead.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, fluff-clown?!"

Loud, fast paced splotchy steps sounded on the ground and then there was a silence. Rin's hand rounded on white-coated arm and held there, trying to crush the body underneath it. Mephisto chuckled, once again gazing from corner of his eyes at young Okumura.

"You, young demons think you can do everything you want but the truth is... You can do nothing" he clucked his tongue, closing eyes and sighed tiredly. "You – Rin Okumura, might be holding Satan's flames within but you're still half human." At that he nonchalantly turned around, completely ignoring the fact that Rin was actually having a hard time with holding his hand in place. "You have nothing compared to me" he added, lightly gripping Rin's hand and tearing it from white material, damaging it in the process. "I liked this coat. I'll have to deduct it from your next month's allowance."

Rin's face was sporting by now deep red blotches as he was utterly baffled.

"What do you mean, you stupid clown?! What next month's allowance?! I don't need your stinky money so you can just as well shove it up your ass for all I care! Just tell me already why you're lying to me? Why won't you tell me where Yukio is?!"

Mephisto sighed and then shallowly nodded towards grey tombstone that stood nearby.

" _This_ _is_ his resting place."

Rin however had nothing of it. "Bullshit!" he snarled, the red in his eyes swirled wildly. "This is not! He's alive and I know it!"

"Okumura Rin" Mephisto said smirking, his eyes seemed to dance in the rain. "Why do you keep on believing that your dear brother is alive?"

Stuttering just a tad bit, Rin concluded his unusual outburst. His eyes harsh and calculating practically bored into his mentor's face. "I know it, I feel it..." at that his face closed down, as if a mask came up and covered it. "You might know what I'm talking about, it might be a demon's thing for all I know... or maybe just Yukio's..."

"And that is your explanation of scaring half-to-death your classmates, not to mention skipping last few days of cram school? Tell me, what would Yukio say if he knew that now _after_ the sentence that was placed on your head was lifted you tucked your tail and ran away..?"

"I'm not running away!" Rin argued, his tail lashing wildly on the ground. "I just want to know the truth, you bastard! So tell me why did you fake Yukio's death?! Moreover, where is he now?!"

At some point he might've been right furthermore Mephisto sighed somehow defeated. "You're one persisting pest, half-demon." Hearing that put Rin in fully-aware mode, even his tail stopped in mid-whim. Mephisto thus continued his thought. "Plus I believe you won't leave me be until I spill the beans, am I right?" Upon Rin's nod he smiled like a Cheshire-cat. "However do you really want to know, Rin-kun? Will you be able to live with the thought that maybe, just maybe _you're_ actually _wrong_?"

Black tail whipped to the side in agitation. "Ne, you bastard, stop with all this cryptic bullshit and say it already!"

"Fine then, Rin-kun I feel terribly sorry for your loss but..."

"But..?"

A heartbeat.

"It's real."

"No... No, it's not! It's not true, he's alive and _I will_ find him!"

Mephisto shook his head with his smile still in place. "You're so unbelievably convinced that Okumura-sensei is still alive that I find it utterly amusing. However..." His eyes slanted bit more, a single fang appeared at the side of his mouth. "As much as I would love to have some more fun with your moody persona, I think it's time to stop. You managed pretty well on your own, Okumura Rin, and for a long time too."

"Huh..? What's _that_ supposed to mean fluff-clown?"

The smile took on a devilish turn. "It means you passed your first trial."

"First..? Trial..?" Rin asked bewildered, he blinked few times. "What are you babbling about now?!"

"I'm talking about your first real demon training, or rather your passing of it. Now-now, don't do this face for too long or it's going to stay like that. Why so surprised, Rin-kun? Hm?" Mephisto said slowly, deliberately. He was clearly taking his sweet time with answers. "Unlike Okumura-sensei, you always relied on your Kurikara, seeing as I sealed demonic powers inside it years ago. Well, until few months back, you do remember that day, don't you?"

"With your Kurikara on the lake's bottom and Satan's flames bursting like that it finally cracked and unsealed your true power from it. As much as I want to, my power is not even close to that of Satan's but that's beside the point. My point is that I needed to see if you're able to withstand your inner-demon and what's the best way to see it if not to fake your brother's death?" At that he chuckled sweetly, before towering above stunned Rin and whispering, "We all know how profound your bond is, don't we all?"

"Wha- Yukio-"

"Stunned speechless, how unlike you. But be kind and close your mouth, you look like a fish taken out of water, I might start to get worried."

Rin finally snapped his open mouth shut, not without furrowing his brows or baring his fang. "Does this mean I was right? Yukio's... he's alive..?"

Mephisto nodded curtly. "Mmhm-mhm... There's just one tiny detail about your brother's state however..."

"I don't care!" cut in sharply Rin, his face was almost splitting in two from smiling too hard. "I want to see him!"

At that Mephisto stopped whatever he wanted to say and pouted. "Are you sure?"

"Hell yeah, f'course I'm sure! Take me to him, even now if you can..."

One nod was all it took, oh and a very twisted smile on Mephisto's face. "If you're sure... then lets go."

With one quick turn of his umbrella, Mephisto's eyes twinkled and drizzle stopped in mid-air. View so strange and alien for Rin that he panicked a bit, looking frantically between himself and Mephisto.

"What's going on? What did you do, clown?"

"Well, you wanted to see Yukio, did you not?" Mephisto asked plainly, as if it was weather they were speaking about not time-space alternation.

"Y-yeah but..." Rin stepped ahead and realised that even when drops hung in air he could easily catch them on. After awhile his face somehow brightened, smile bordering on painful once again. "Wow..."

At seeing pure astonishment on Rin's face, Mephisto laughed. A loud, all-round laugh. When he stopped he saw a pair of blue eyes glaring at him with despise. To avoid any other obstacles in his _overly-accelerated_ plan, he cleared his throat and stepped closer to young male. On his way he closed that fluffy umbrella of his.

Mephisto yet again towered above Rin, who was standing his ground – gritting his teeth in irritation. Only then Mephisto pointed with his almighty-umbrella towards sky and started to circle it.

"Be ready, Rin-kun" he said before he continued with, "Eins, zwei, drei-"

A crack kind of like old wooden floors would make boomed from sky and soon after a huge cuckoo-alike-house appeared above both of them. As much as Rin was scared shitless of the happening, he almost fainted when that huge thing _slammed down_ into them – thankfully with the place where the doors were supposed to be, but he wasn't sure because...

After that everything went dark.

And Mephisto only chuckled at comatose Okumura, who was clearly going to be out-cold for some time. Well, time... He chuckled again. They had tons of it in spares, especially in the place they were in.

In that bubble of reality he used as his pocket-dimension that is.


	2. Chapter 2

He was adrift in an abyss.

He saw things, heard them and even felt more-or-less some of them.

Wondering about everything what happened to him - no, to _them both_ \- in the last year, he kept on drifting ahead or so he thought he was. The emotions – _mixture of them, from glee to confusion and even fury_ \- were swirling inside him, just as entire events of his life happened to be coming back to him like some kind of a terrifying wake-up call.

 _There was a laughter bubbling from him, he just couldn't help himself. Thinking about this situation - like seriously though - how was he supposed to know beforehand that Yukio's glasses are going to crack and **then** land back perfectly onto his head afterwards?  
"Look at that they landed perfectly!"  
Unfortunately his younger brother did not find this funny at all, as it seemed that he was a very much pissed off._  
" _What in the hell is so frickin' funny?!"_  
Gulping through too-fast clenching throat he barely croaked, doing one of his cute, confused faces. It wasn't that he did it on purpose, oh no. Yukio simply pestered him a bit too much about everything lately and he reacted. Besides it always was Rin the one being in-hot-water so to speak. As if anything it was Yukio's fault that the whole ordeal happened in the first place, wasn't it?

Memories.

Yes, memories once deeply buried inside his mind now floated free, reminding him of the bond he shared with Yukio _so long time ago_. Especially now, after all this time he spend on trying to catch a glimpse of the truth – _the truth that he believed was stolen from him_.

Some of the memories were painful like a little stabs into heart as they kept on coming, changing and morphing, others on the contrary soothed those fresh wounds that were opening anew. Even so, that were his real feelings about each and every memory he had of his twin.

Upon reliving more and more of his memories, his chest clenched involuntarily at the anger he felt so many times - _back then_ \- towards Yukio before his so-called death – sometimes almost _hatred_ , and _hope_ that soon enough _they would part their ways_ , so he could finally live his life as he wanted. Thinking back about those moments he finally saw how _stupid_ and even _heartless_ he was to even think such things - he never really meant any of them though; _that's why_ _after he finally accepted a fact that his Yukio – his twin – was gone forever, he stopped to care about school, about becoming exorcist... Because there wasn't Yukio any more, so why would he need to become one now?_

So many things happened in the past months which he spend alone, without pestering of the young exorcist and his kind smiles reserved only for Rin – that it hurt. It hurt a bit too much to feel again that _ire_ and _pleasure_ at Yukio's _outrage_ and _misfortune_. There was even more to it, as memories kept on replaying itself in his mind.

They were jumbled, appearing in-no-particular order. Their happily spend childhood moments intertwined with those from last years, when everything changed – _when Yukio became his teacher and he... he awoke as a demon._

Happiness and sadness.

Sorrow and joy.

How their lives became so messed up? Why did they? Why there was no more glee in being together, like before when they were brothers - _and nothing more_ \- looking up to each other at every turn? It seemed it flew off on a wide-spread wings into the night sky on the day when their father – _Shiro_ \- died. Their perfect world crumbled, that little safety bubble popped – to never emerge back.

" _What's the matter everyone?" asked Yukio, looking intently at everybody gathered in the classroom. "It looks like a perfectly splendid birthday cake to me" he added, somehow trying to save Rin from uproar coming from the rest of their friends. Just like his younger brother he didn't really understood what was all that noise about.  
Upon hearing that entire class glanced at Yukio completely shocked to hear it coming from their sensei. Sensei who instantly sweatdropped terribly, not really knowing where to hide from piercing eyes of his students and friends. Only sometime later, when Ukobach held a "Confectionery Manufacturing Specialist" book in his hands and practically was shoving it into their faces, they finally understood the mistake._  
" _So birthday cakes and Christmas cakes are totally different, huh?" said Rin, sweating a bit. Yukio who stood arm-in-arm with him – with his hands crossed, also sweating a bit – only confirmed their confused predicament._  
" _It's our moment of truth after fifteen years, right, nii-san?"_  
In this moment they both turned their eyes towards each other, both flustered and pouted. In the end though Rin smiled and clasped his hand onto Yukio's arm, lessening thick curtain of embarrassment. And so younger twin also smiled and nodded his head, eyes never leaving Rin's smiling face.

In that one dark, barely lit room, Rin kept on dreaming - _completely lost in his memories of Yukio_ \- unaware of the conversation that took place on the other side of the strange place he was in.

"Young Rin-kun is still sleeping, that's a bit bothersome..."

"Maybe you hit him too hard on the head, brother" Light-skinned hand reached towards pack of crisps that was lying behind person and grasped it. With one smooth move it was opened and it's contents were eaten by said person. Loud crunches filled the room. "You're not very delicate when you're in a hurry."

 _Brother_ shrugged nonchalantly, crossing one leg over other. "Well, we can't have all, can we?" he asked, reaching for a tiny tea cup that waited silently on a small, round coffee table. He huffed at hot contents before taking a sip. "Now, I asked you to come because I've heard some very... _interesting_... things about Moriyama Shiemi's doings. How do you cope?"

Amaimon licked his long fingers for some time before actually taking them out of his mouth with a tiny pop. "I haven't had so much _fun_ in ages..."

At that slanted eyes narrowed just a tad bit more than normally they would. "Amaimon..."

But he shrugged it off with a bright smile on his face and leaned comfortably over his armchair, reaching for another bag of – _sweets_ this time. He opened it and ate, openly leaving his brother pondering.

"I understand circumstances are nifty but you shouldn't mess too much with Okumura's friends."

With a mouth full of candies, Amaimon rolled his eyes. "I'm just having fun with that Shiemi girl, no worries about all of them."

"From them all you needed to pick actually _her_..." _brother_ murmured then sighed, closing his eyes and taking another sip from cup.

"Oi!" Amaimon piped in, clearly offended. "It's her fault! She should finally learn how to do a proper summoning, ne?"

Mephisto Pheles upon hearing that slowly opened his eyes and glanced at his younger kin. "She shouldn't be able to summon _you_ of all demon's on the world. It's interesting thing in itself that she actually did."

Amaimon agreed wholeheartedly nodding, only to lock his eyes onto one lonely spider web that sat somewhere above them. "Well, yeah. It was fun though!"

"And that's what bothers me. You shouldn't mess with Moriyama girl or you might get hurt."

Upon hearing those words Amaimon burst out laughing like mad, tiny droplets of not-yet-eaten sweets landed around him onto fluffy, carmine carpet.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU SHMUCK?!" roared Mephisto at seeing his beautiful carpet being brutally destroyed. "THIS IS A SPECIAL MOE-MOE CARPET YOU'RE SPITTING ONTO?!"

Amaimon however kept on laughing, holding his stomach in doing so. Tears were in the corners of his green eyes when he calmed – just some. "Y-you think she'd kill me! Me? I'm the demon king of earth, nobody can kill me! Not even Okumura-kun could..."

Glaring from behind his round top-hat, Mephisto was radiating pure malice. His eyes shone with red. "I'm not talking about death as it happens it's the least of our-kind's problem... But..." he smirked now in evil glee. "Maybe she will bind you to her, use as a mere puppet to do her _work_ , _no_ _fun_ intended."

That stopped younger demon instantly. Hearing words such as 'work' or 'no fun' were his weak points which were – _as it seemed_ \- still as effective as ever. Amaimon blinked once, twice then started to bite upon his long, black fingernail. If not for a slight narrow of brows, Mephisto would say he looked troubled.

"Don't tell me she bound you to do her biding already" he spoke nonchalantly, not even really meaning the words before he tried to take another sip, which was interrupted abruptly when Amaimon bit off his nail and looked at him ashamed. He spat his tea around, soaking everything in it's reach. "You did not... Amai-kun?"

Answered him abashed turn of green-haired head and long, long sigh. Then person slouched into armchair, almost drowning in it, in the process. "I don't know how it really happened though" he stated, clearly confused. "I didn't even help her... Just took a small bite off her, that's all I did, I promise!"

On Mephisto's head a small vein popped out but he sighed slowly to calm his rising blood-pressure. Really though, Amaimon was so ignorant towards the laws of Assiah that he couldn't help but feel rising ire towards him.

"Was it really?" he pressed on, now openly staring at demonic-moronic brother of his. And he even didn't look bothered by the fact that he was bound to a human being. "You do know how bonds are made, do you not?"

Amaimon shrugged, pouting.

"You needed to help her or at least abide to her command. Whichever it was, you bound yourself to her... Your ignorance is unbelievable. I've been repeating to you over and over again that there are laws in Assiah you need to acknowledge and submit to."

"Like I said though, I've had fun. So it's not so bad..." Amaimon shrugged. He smiled then, remembering something. "Also I'm not _as_ ignorant as you think I am... I'm actually pretty smart too" he kept on saying, now proud as ever. "I've marked her too! Now she's mine just like she made me hers. It's a two-way street, ne?"

Mephisto for the first time in his life facepalmed himself. Hard. And slouched on his very comfortable moe-moe, fluffy armchair trying to erase last few minutes of his life from his memory. To no luck.

Oh hell, if he thought that his plan happened to have a slight kink, now it was an entire hole, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to fix it in any way possible.

"A-MAI-MOOOOOOON!"

A ground-shaking screech shook the entire place, unintentionally rousing young half-demon from his slumber. Rin who groaned loudly and then continued to sit up, after few passing seconds slowly looked around himself half-wondering if everything what he saw - _what he felt_ \- was just a dream, or maybe something more? For all he knew, his head felt light and woozy but he had been too perplexed at his surroundings to actually care about it.

Wherever he glanced he saw darkness - _pitch-black, harsh, holding him in it's claws_ – and that was all he needed to panic. His heart rate sky-rocketed when he jumped to his feet but still saw just empty place, no floor nor walls. A thought crossed his mind that maybe he was still trapped in his dreams, or rather _nightmares_.

But as he frantically turned around - _to see nothing yet again_ \- his mind finally settled at his latest memory of his showdown with Mephisto at Yukio's grave. A light of hope suddenly soared to life within him, when he remembered that in this place – _somewhere_ \- was Yukio. Well and alive just like Mephisto said... or... maybe not? Only now a very ugly thought occurred to him that maybe - _just maybe_ \- Mephisto was playing him by giving him a false hope for something impossible.

No, no... Shaking his head, Rin decided that he's being paranoid – wasn't it him, who told Mephisto about feeling Yukio's bond?

Gulping, he sighed and looked down at his hidden hands. Standing in this strange place, he felt lost. There was no pull from the bond that he felt for some time now – _bond which was becoming stronger, but even so it was a kind of hit-and-miss thing; sometimes disappearing for days to come but then practically knocking him off his feet with the sheer strength of it._ And right now, here, there was nothing. No pull, no push. As if a thin thread that circled his little finger of his left hand finally broke and left him alone to figure it out, what it was in the first place – or rather if _was it even real?_

As if anything, it was the least thing he wanted to do right now. Thoughts of Yukio still clouded his mind, the memories nagging him to finally move ahead. To do something, anything. Yet he only felt trembles of his body, his hands taking his own face into them and sob which shook him to the core.

Because he was weak, oh _so weak_ without Yukio – and that weakness grew on him since the day he said his goodbyes to his dead twin. Only now, it finally seeped through his heart, affecting mind and body. For months he acted strong and merrily for Yukio since he was gone, but then again one could live a lie only for so long until it's charm broke. And at that time, when it happened – it wasn't pretty, quite the opposite; adding to it his violent nature and lack of Kurikara's stability...

Rin trembled, hands sliding down his face.

And just as he done that he felt a familiar slight tug on his pinky finger. Blue eyes widened, breath caught in throat, he froze. In thoughts he kept on repeating _Yukio's_ name, as if tiny tug on his finger could actually answer his prayers and guide him to his twin.

When another pull came, he didn't hesitate – just followed the lead into darkness.

As his feet kept on going, Rin never really realised that he was in a maze. Dark, long corridors were stretching horribly ahead – to no end, but he kept pressing on. The pull was light and almost impalpable but it was there, and it directed him through many twists and turns.

Sometimes on his way, he'd see a one lonely lamp that would scatter absolute blackness. Other times he'd follow blindly after his bond, his faith urging him to walk on.

Rin turned another invisible corner when he felt a pull towards one particular direction. As he walked over he understood that before him stood huge, baroque doors. Steady tug of his bond became stronger as he placed his hands onto them – searching for a doorknob or at least a tiny chink so he could open them up. To his utmost surprise he actually found a huge round - _old fashioned_ \- doorknob which he pulled with all his might.

After few stretchy minutes and noisy screech of wooden doors, he silently stepped inside hidden room to be welcomed by a view what simply mesmerized him. His eyes stared at one specific point in the chamber – _which was just like entire place completely drowned in dark, if not for a single bluish streak of light that barely lit tiny space around it_ – and he couldn't stop himself from going deeper into it absolutely enthralled by the vision.

His own steps seemed to echo in his ears. The chamber was so silent and eerie it was giving him a creeps but it wasn't the atmosphere of it that was making him feel so... dazed. Because in his entire life – Rin - never saw anything so heart _warming_ and _shattering_ at the same time, as what he found inside that chamber.

Long, lanky legs stopped him in a middle of it – a few meters from a sight he's never going to forget, not until his last breath. He let his blue eyes follow the view slowly, to confirm that what he was seeing was real.

As it was, from the pitch-black floor stood - _or maybe floated?_ \- a long, blueish crystal which tried to lit chamber with it's light but even more so, it held Yukio inside it – _his Yukio, his twin brother._ The vision was so surreal, like the one from a dream – but it was real, it was Yukio and he seemed to be asleep, for a very long time. What however almost shattered his heart were tiny details he noticed of his brother.

Wayward hair caught forever in the moment, slightly opened mouth, no trace of any kind of pain just peacefulness on light-skinned face. A pointy curves - _more demonic than normally_ \- of his ears, two longer fangs, wildly curled tail... Rin would even risk to say he saw a trace of a blue flames imprisoned within the crystal with him.

However it seemed he not only was entrapped by those crystal as his body was also tangled with thick, greenish vines - as if to keep him in place. To Rin, Yukio's frame seemed somehow thinner than he remembered it to be. In here – _now_ – his twin's lanky body was twisted towards side with one hand falling down along his body and the other stretched upwards. Even his head - _which was bend down_ \- was also slightly upturned by those ugly looking vines.

In all, Yukio resembled a very grotesque picture of a person suddenly entrapped by abyss itself.

Even so, he still looked so peacefully. There was no pain, not single emotion on his face – just his three moles that always stood out.

Somehow shakily, Rin found himself chuckling through gathering tears. Tears which shone in his eyes but none fell, holding onto that happy part of him from seeing his brother once again.

"Yukio..."

His twin was wearing plain white shirt and black pants, no shoes nor anything more really. Shirt was opened in some places - _torn in other_ \- leaving healthy skin to the view, a few scraps of white material hung from those vines he noticed. Yet even upon closer look there was no breath coming from him, as his chest wasn't moving.

"Ah, before I realised you're awake, you've been gone..." came a voice from direction of an exit. Rin didn't bother turning, as he knew the owner by his heart now. "Sorry for making you wait but you've been knocked out cold for quite some time."

Rin of course knew that, his dreams being a very vivid reminder of that state. He blinked twice before his hands curled at his sides, burning anger rising within him. There was so many things he needed to know, things he needed to understand.

He needed the truth.

And so he did what everybody would in his place, he asked one simple question of, "How?"

Mephisto, who stood proudly - _being him and all_ \- clucked his tongue before actually answering. Young esquire didn't bother to even turn towards him so he on the other hand didn't bother to come closer either.

Darkness swirled in the chamber, bluish light silently shining around them.

"How you ask..." repeated Mephisto, pondering. He smiled his usual smile and continued on. "How I'll tell you. Three days after _Blue Lake_ , both you and Yukio were still in a coma. To be honest, I didn't really think that Okumura-sensei would live through first night after the event..."

"Why?" cut in sharply Rin, his eyes still concentrated on the vision of his brother. "Why did you think-"

Mephisto coughed, loudly. "If you kindly shut up, I will tell you everything." At that Rin shuddered with anger but kept silent nonetheless. Pleased with that, Mephisto inhaled before speaking up again. "On that night I've found you both on death's doorstep – literally speaking. Even with your fast healing. Unfortunately unlike yours, Yukio's body couldn't keep up with all inner bleeding he's been having. So it means we've been losing Okumura-sensei pretty fast, even after every treatment we tried. We were running out of time, so on the third day, I've spoke with Kirigakure-sensei about our last chance at keeping him alive - even if barely. Result you have before your own eyes, Rin-kun."

"That's not the answer I wanted to hear, you bastard!" snarled Rin, his black tail suddenly lit up in blue flame just as his whole body was consumed by it.

There was a long, painful sigh. "You're one ungrateful brat, half-demon. Not only I saved your lives but am helping you learn how to control your temper."

"I don't give a shit! I want Yukio back! Let him out of that thing!" he growled, now turning around and shooting daggers at older demon. Mephisto all but shook his head in response. "You bastard! I'll..."

Mephisto smiled, rolling his umbrella in hand. "You'll what? Kick me? Call me stupid-fluff-clown?" he smirked, his eyes twinkled. "Or maybe... _kill me_?"

At that Rin took one step ahead, yet didn't move further afterwards. "You still didn't tell me everything. There is more to your story, so spill out! Now!"

"Of course there is, Rin-kun, didn't I ask you to _not_ _interrupt_ me?" Rin's lips twisted in disdain, fangs dangerously shining in blue light. "Much, much better. Now, where was I... Ah, yes, I've got it. Like I said results of my help you can see for yourself but I must tell you one thing, Okumura Rin... There is no assurance that Yukio's going to wake up any time soon. It might take a day, a week... Entire year or even more before his wounds would be completely healed. It looks that this time Satan's flames were going for a kill" by now, Mephisto glanced towards sleeping Okumura with something akin to melancholy. "It's already been seven months since I've put him to dreamless sleep yet there wasn't once a slight change in him. Do you remember when you spoke about your bond? That you felt his presence?"

By hearing more explanations Rin's anger subsided, he let his flames burn though. With a nod, he prodded his mentor to continue.

"You've been right. Demons _can_ feel presence of own _kin_. I feel Yukio's all the time as I've put him in this special place, that's always in my reach. However I'm surprised that you felt it too as you shouldn't... Not when it's hidden under my illusion. Which is _interesting_..."

"It's been a tug" spoke Rin, no more snarling nor shouting. He just wanted to add to conversation his own two cents. Thinking more over the bond he glanced at his pinky finger and then half-turned towards Yukio. "I've felt a tug on my little finger" he kept on saying, his face slowly going impasse. His feelings calming down after literal hurricane they were before. "Every time I walked next to you I've felt a pull... then one time I might've overheard your talk with Kirigakure-sensei..."

"Ah" Mephisto chuckled. "That's why you kept on believing that your twin is alive."

"That's why I've wondered why would you lie to me about him" Rin confirmed, his tail slowly swinging and then stopping entirely. "I've never thought that..."

"That he's held inside huge healing crystal, dormant."

He nodded shortly, his hair swaying some from the movement. "Ye-ah..."

Now that all emotions finally calmed, when situation was somehow explained Mephisto sighed and closed his eyes. Of course he wouldn't ever tell anybody that he felt sorry for Okumura Rin in that one moment.

"Could I...?" stuttered Rin, his words suddenly failing him. He looked back at his mentor, not really caring at what he saw in that one second. "Could I... visit him?"

There was almost a 'please' at the end of that question.

The voice he used was so soft, it surprised Mephisto. He'd never really think that this little _hellspawn_ could actually be gentle, knowing how violent he's most of the times. Unbeknown to himself, he nodded quietly staring and smiling – so unlike himself! Where was a smartass comment he should be spilling by now?

But... there wasn't any.

"Thanks."

Totally unaware of Mephisto's confusion, Rin slowly smiled turning towards the huge crystal that held his brother's life within. Before any of them registered what happened next, Rin's legs moved him ahead.

With a single tear slipping from his wide-opened eyes, Rin caressed the crystal vessel with a crooked smile on his troubled face.

"Get better soon, Yukio.

I will wait."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ohayou, Yuki-chan..." greeted a soft, feminine voice. Warm breeze ruffled light-blonde hair, it's owner smiled and then continued, clearly enjoying this beautiful day.

"How are you? I hope you're still as happy as you can, being wherever you are now. Well..." girl's voice lightened. "Rin... He's getting better, I thought I'll inform you as you're not really with us any more. He came back to cram school as well. Of course... There's a clear dislike of the new Anti-Demon's Pharmacology teacher from his side but the fact stands that he's actually came back."

There was a silent pause in her one-sided conversation, girl obviously was thinking something through. When she spoke again there were tears swirling in her big, green eyes but otherwise she was smiling brightly.

"Yukio" she whispered while another gust of wind swept her free blonde wisps into the air. "After... you..." A sniff followed this couple words and she shook her head angrily, cheeks rosy from irritation. "Rin, he... You have no idea how he acted when you've been gone. I thought that it was his way of coping with your... _passing_ but soon enough I understood... it wasn't it. I saw right through his façade, that mask he kept on wearing every day – acting as if nothing really happened. But it did and I... might've gotten angry... Told him a few things that I'm going to regret for the rest of my life..."

Another sniff escaped but this time she needed to rub her eye – even if just slightly. Next words that slipped her mouth were muffled by thus sleeve. "Please don't hate me for this... Yukio. I'm sorry." She inhaled fresh air and waited for her heart to calm down, only then she spoke on.

"We all miss you, you were that one person that was always there, you know? Not only that but you were the best, Dragoon and Doctor at such age – a real prodigy." At simple thought of her Okumura-sensei, she smiled – eyes closed and cheeks flushed a bit. "You're our inspiration to keep going. To get stronger. Mine, Bon's, Shima's, Izumo's, Konekomaru's... Rin's. Everybody's really" at that she couldn't help but to chuckle. Her eyes opened and gazed at engraved name on cold, harsh stone. "I am really happy that we had a chance to meet."

When everything was said and done, she lightly swept her hand over grey gravestone and breathed deeply – trying to get a hold of herself.

"I guess you're still watching over him, even now. _Thank you._ Thank you for everything, Yuki-chan. Also I think you'll be pleased to hear that _our_ Rin is back. He's smiling again and these smiles aren't fake; he pesters Bon like there was no tomorrow but they don't _really_ fight any more... Still... We will always miss _you_. It's just... not the same without..."

Sniffing for the last time, girl trembled but stood back from her crouching position. Unfortunately her knees - from being bend for quite some time in a funny position – gave from under her weight with sudden movement and she lost her footing. To her luck however a strong hand reached towards her shoulder and kept her upright before she could fall face down onto the ground.

"Shiemi-chan?"

Girl – Shiemi – turned abruptly towards her saviour and huffed immediately, face flushed and eyes narrowed.

"Amai-chan!" she raised her voice but barely. Her face was clearly red with embarrassment from her own clumsiness. Wind took that exact moment to once again ruffle her blonde hair, a-bit-too-long fringe partially obscuring her vision. "Don't scare me like that! It's not nice!"

Amaimon cocked his head to the side, lollipop rolling around his mouth. "I was here entire time..?" he said, not understanding girl's ire. He let his brows rise. "You told me to bring you here, so I did?"

Shiemi flushed with an even more vivid red colour, brushing black-nailed hand off her shoulder. "Yes, I asked you to bring me here" she repeated, now inhaling and speaking as if to a five-year-old child and not five-hundred-old demon. "But I don't remember telling you to watch over me... Huh..." a sudden thought crossed her mind and she momentarily paled. "How long are you here?"

Amaimon sighed completely bored and crossed hands behind his head, then continued to eye one of the trees that stood not-so-far away to finally shrug and roll his lollipop in mouth. "Since we came here. It's not as if I had anything better to do."

At that Shiemi blanched. It wasn't going to be one of _these_ days, was it? Even thinking about it made a goosebumps spread over her body. Trying hard to keep control over the situation, she breathed and sighed. "Oh, well... I'm finished now. I'm going to walk back home if you don't mind... so you're free to do whatever you want" she spoke calmly, inwardly sweating. She moved slowly ahead, not sparing her ' _familiar_ ' a glance – that usually worked, when she just ignored him, but... "I'm not going to need your help today."

With a sigh of relief she walked off from Amaimon, strangely wondering about his silence. If there was one thing that she was afraid of – then it was the silence, because frankly he'd get the wildest ideas when silent. That left her with only once choice – which was to sneak off quietly and without triggering Amaimon's inner alarm.

She was almost half-way out the cemetery when she felt a pull on her throat – as if invisible chain was placed around it – and staggered back few steps. Now sweating even more, she reached with her hand towards the pull and choked.

"Where do you think, you're going? I'm not finished yet" stated Amaimon, curling his fist around the other end of the invisible link that hang between them. Feeling more and more emotions radiating from his human, he smirked – only his fangs showing. "Shiemi-chan, I'm bored. Let's go and play some..." and with that he tugged on chain to see Shiemi fall onto her bottom and groan painfully.

With few tears in her eyes, she rounded at demon. "But I'm not in the mood for your games! Not today... I have many things to do. Unlike you."

Amaimon frowned upon hearing harsh tone. "You asked something of me and now I will ask something of you."

Shiemi shook her head. "You can't force me to do anything and you know it, just as I won't force you to! It's not how things work around in Assiah, Amaimon."

His eye twitched. "What's the point of having you as my human then?" he deadpanned, his face going sober and strange light shining from his twitching eye. "I was having so much _fun_ before you stupidly summoned me!"

Crawling back, Shiemi blinked somehow entranced by pure evil aura that swirled around Amaimon in that one moment. She gulped, paling more. "Amai-mon... I..." she paused thinking their situation through, in truth their bond was really an accident – a stupid one at that, and it certainly wasn't her fault! "It's your fault!" After a moment she snapped, green eyes hard and finger ready to smear with blood small piece of paper. "If you didn't obey me then nothing would ever happened!"

By now Amaimon was furious. "You can't blame me!" he countered, crossing his arms and huffing. "I went away because I didn't want to be in that place, not with all of you. As if anything, it's your fault!" he added, childishly pointing finger at Shiemi. Upon seeing and hearing that she jumped to her feet and curled fists at sides.

"What?!" she shouted, red-faced. "It's not!"

"It is!"

"Is not!"

"It is!"

"Is not!"

Amaimon – who unconsciously stepped closer to his human – now towered above her, wanting to beat some brain into her but couldn't. Not for as long as Okumura-kun was alive anyway. So he gridded his pointy teeth and snarled loudly, echo resonating through entire graveyard.

"You told me to go away!" It was truth, she said just that and nothing more nor less and he being slightly dazed from sudden change of scenery, ported away – not realising that he was summoned by a common human. That was the story, nothing fancy. And that's how they ended like this. "So it's your fault!"

Shiemi did not relent though, as if anything she kept on talking. "Oh really, mister demon king of earth?" she mocked him, breathing deeply, her soul burned. "How I was supposed to know that I summoned you of all demons on the world? You kept on popping out from time to time anyway, so it wasn't strange when it happened... A-and you... you... Afterwards... You actually dared to bound me to yourself too! That's just sick! What kind of a demon does that?"

"Well, I won't let any human have his hands on me" Amaimon concluded, straightening and frowning down his nose. "At first I wanted to kill you..." Shiemi gasped, shuddering angrily. "But after talk with brother I understood that you're not worth the trouble, still I couldn't just let you walk away as if nothing happened, because it did..." he added, now raising his right hand into the air. In _Assiah_ there was nothing between them but if one glanced into mirror-reflection of that world - _into Gehenna_ – then would see a thick chain tied around Amaimon's palm which stretched towards a heavy looking collar that was clasped around Shiemi's throat. "No human will be a God of me."

Shiemi at that faltered a bit, knowing that she really couldn't win with a demon king. So she did what she always did. Pouting, she looked down on her feet. "What do you have in mind then?"

By that Amaimon smiled, lollipop rolling around and then took it out with a slight pop. Oh he was enjoying himself a bit too much with his human. "Some fun of course!" he mentioned, smacking his lips loudly. Shiemi at that sighed, her shoulders slumping a bit more – it seemed she was used to that by now.

"Mephiland? _Again_?" she groaned inwardly. To think there were times when she was excited to visit the place.

Amaimon nodded slightly. "Of course! Where can we have more fun than there?" he pondered, for a second thinking hard. Then he brushed it off and clasped his hand onto Shiemi's shoulder. Lollipop popped once more into mouth, he cheered like a five-year-old. "To Mephiland!" and both of them disappeared in a blink.

A lone two-tailed cat shook his head in worry upon seeing thus situation, unlike his companion with polka-dotted bow-tie who smiled, excitedly waving tail around.

...

Day held a promise of a quite warm upcoming days. Sun already shone brightly and blue sky was clear as ever but around Old Boy's Dormitory a chilly cloud of misery still hang mercilessly. Yes, there was that specific stillness around the place, eerie silence not interrupted even by a chirp of a bird.

Sometime later in a room 602, Rin Okumura sat quietly staring at one particular thing in his hand. His blue eyes kept on sliding along a thing that was his _past_ and _future_.

Cracked surface however stood out a way too much.

Sighing, Rin softly slid his hand along once perfect blade, now useless and chipped. To truth be told, he haven't reached for it in _months_. As the Kurikara was destroyed once again, there wasn't any way to restore it to it's previous glory. Well, so it seemed back then. For months he'd have to learn and practice – _alone_ – to control his flames.

It was a very difficult time for him, especially with Yukio's death.

Reminiscing few past months, Rin clutched the blade in hand. So, yeah... It was a fucking nightmare, those past months. Even now he could barely believe that he didn't end up like his twin in the first place, because like he said before: _there was no Rin if there's no Yukio_ who was taken from him in a blink of an eye.

How would anybody feel if they woke up one day to see a pair of cracked glasses sitting silently in a chair that should be occupied by the one person that was always by one's side?

 _Devastated_.

And that's how he felt at first. Of course he still remembers - clear as a day - the pain and the tears that just couldn't stop coming. Every single time he'd do something or say, he'd forget himself - unconsciously look behind him, as if to ire Yukio to his pleasure – and then pause, for a very long time until reality would slap him in the face, to remind him that his twin was gone.

Week later, oh how fucking terrible the funeral was – even now cold shivers ran down his back upon remembering it. There were tears, so many fucking tears. And that photo of Yukio's smiling face staring back at all of them and he couldn't... he _couldn't_... Only afterwards, when everybody finally left him alone, he let go – he wailed and screamed out all his hurt and rage. But even then, slouched above the gravestone of his twin, he couldn't stop that _burning_ inside him. It wasn't a catharsis but something shifted in his perception of reality back then, some words he heard decade before floated back to him and he stood up a different man.

That was the day when he snapped, when he realised that everything Yukio made him feel was pain and sadness. And he hated it, that hopelessness. So throwing angrily his bouquet in a general direction of a gravestone with disdain, he walked away – his back stiff, his resolve strong as ever.

Back in his dormitory - presently - as Rin exhaled deeply looking around their room, he felt so small and stupid. Gone was the stuff Yukio used, gone were his books, his uniforms... Shit, well everything. Because in his greatest moment of weakness he couldn't even stand _the view_ of his twin's belongings and he simply packed everything and threw away. It wasn't as if Yukio was going to come back for it anyway. Well, crud. Rin chuckled bitterly under nose, his eyes now resting over empty opposite bed.

Yukio was going to kill him once he'd wake, that was for sure.

Groaning some, he leaned back onto his bed and lied down. After few seconds he raised his hand with Kurikara in it. The blade was destroyed completely and that was a fact, but even so Mephisto - _why after so many months?_ – insisted to bring it to him, for whatever reason. Maybe he found a way to fix it?

Nah, impossible! Huffing, he actually sat back and glanced at his watch. It said it was sometime near dinner time. With a very tired sigh he neatly secured the blade in the red cloth before slipping it over his shoulder. Messing his hair some, he reached for his – _or rather Yukio's old_ \- Exorcist keys and turned one of it inside his room's lock.

When he stepped through doors, he found himself in a long corridors of True Cross Academy. Of course, he shouldn't be using the keys so recklessly but he didn't care really. Besides before he actually stepped out his room, he checked if there was anybody in a corridor, so... Yeah, he was clear.

Fiddling with closing a lock for some time, _after_ he managed to finally shut it he moved ahead towards principal's office – where Mephisto was waiting for him.

As he walked through corridors of his day school, he kept on pondering over the meaning of Mephisto's order. What would that old geezer do with it anyway? If he remembered correctly – his sword's blade was made of a very rare, consecrated metal that's not available nowhere in the entire world, so... The question stood, what Mephisto needed his Kurikara for?

Not surprisingly though when he turned around a corner – _very recklessly on his side_ – his thoughts were cut short by a body of a girl that _he_ practically slammed into.

Not thinking much, as he stumbled back, he snarled towards the girl. "Watch how you're walking?!"

The girl seemed unfazed by him though, as she stood still and only eyed him up and down. Then she sighed – _as if disappointed_ – and pushed up her cat-like glasses. A move that stroke a cord in Rin – being weirdly familiar. "So you're Rin Okumura, huh?" she spoke deliberately her glasses shining.

Rin – still somehow caught off-guard – curled his fists but balked. "My fame is preceding me I see" he said smirking afterwards. "Unlike yours...?"

The girl crossed her arms over her small chest. "Kyoko" she acknowledged, lips pursed.

"Kyoko-chan!" Rin instantly jumped towards her, smiling and trying – _really hard_ – to look manly. But she didn't look impressed at all, maybe wondering about his mental health a bit but nothing more, really. "That's really pretty name!"

Girl – Kyoko – sweatdropped little, before keeping her calm stance. "Thank you" she nodded and then side-stepped Rin, apparently continuing on her way.

Unbeknown to her however – when their arms brushed – a very strange vibe spread along Rin's limb, at which his eyes widened. Not only that but a warm, comforting flutter made his soul sing, as if it recognized his own. To truth be told he was grounded on the spot, trying to catch as much details of that girl as he could.

She... _it_ felt familiar. As if he felt it before, a deja vu sorts of? Curious thing was that even his link - _he shared with Yukio_ \- trembled in anticipation. What does that meant? Gulping, Rin needed to snap back to the real world and when it happened he blinked. Once, twice. Before he took off in a wild run towards Mephisto's office.

...

Minutes later, when Rin finally reached the corridor with headmaster's office – he let out a deep breath, feeling a bit winded. Slowing down, he continued on his way over to the doors, walking past few students that were probably on theirs way to clubs they belonged into.

Sighing some more, he frowned – thinking hard about the strange occurrence from before. That glasses-wearing girl... when she side-stepped him... what was that stirring inside him? Was that... A sudden thought popped up in his mind, practically throwing him onto his knees – because no, it couldn't be, could it?

A true love? A soulmate!

Gulping happily, stars instead of eyes – Rin lost himself for a second over there. He imagined the girl... What was her name again? Kyoko? Yes, that was it – Kyoko. He imagined _Kyoko_ smiling towards him softly, her cheeks rosy and eyes closed happily. Her short bouncy hair falling over her shoulders lightly, fringe soon following with every movement of her supple body. KYAAAAA! She was so cute, Rin almost fainted from all the cuteness but then...

Her face morphed – _dispersed_ – into Yukio's, still smiling and all but unlike the girl - only tips of Yukio's ears were flushed, a very slight patch of pink over his nose...

Well that for sure slapped Rin back to earth. Terrified of the vision he just saw, he panted – sweatdropping – at his own imagination. Before he could actually start his inner ranting, he heard two voices talking from behind principal's office doors – whom he stood before, for God knew how long now.

Flush he had on his face slowly faded, as he found the conversation quite interesting. To catch more details of it he pressed his ear towards wooden door.

On the other side of them chat went on.

"You owe me 1713.4550 Yen for that, Kirigakure-sensei" said Mephisto, slouching in his armchair with a sly look attached to his face. He looked as if he waited for this talk to happen for a long time and now was enjoying himself as much as he could. "You lost, just like I said you would."

Red-haired, busty woman in a very skimpy outfit glowered under her nose, crossing arms. "I was close enough" she answered, narrowing her eyes. "Ye won by two months – only, Pheles-san."

Mephisto laughed, his façade changing in a blink. "Like I said before, I knew that our dear half-demon won't loose control of his flames for a long time. I'm glad that he managed to do that for as long as he did" a strange light shone from his eye then and he smirked. "I need to thank him for that once he gets here."

Upon hearing this Shura frowned, twisting her lip some. "And what do ye wanna achieve by doing so?"

Mephisto shrugged nonchalantly at that. "Just entertain myself."

With an even deeper frown, Shura continued. "What's been yer _true plan_ for Okumura-kun and his twin, Mephisto?"

He cocked his head nonchalantly. "I think you know" but as if to deny it she shook her head, closing eyes. "Ne, Shura-san do you miss Yukio-kun?"

A tremble went down hers spine at sudden change of topic, she didn't move an inch however. Opening one eye, she stared at Mephisto curiously. "Where did that come from?"

"Just wondering" he answered honestly, his smile not thinking about ever coming down from his face. "Even though he's healing there's not any assurance that you're going to see him in your _lifetime_ again, is there?"

Shura sighed, her body language changing. Now she let her arms fall limply to her sides, staring openly at him. "Ye, I realise that. But as long as he comes out healthy and all, I'm fine with it..." after saying these words she turned around, her back facing Mephisto. "Besides he's not the only one that I miss..." her words trembled but just little. "There's a lot of people that keep me going. Scaredy-cat was one of them – that's for sure, but not the only one."

Ending their little chatter, Shura then walked ahead – apparently to end their little chat.

"It must really piss you off to know that while you're _getting older_ , Okumura-kun might be the only one that might welcome back Yukio-kun once he wakes up."

Upon those words Shura halted, her hand on the doorknob but with a sigh she tipped her head down. "There's still many years ahead of me and one of those years I _will_ kick Yukio's ass for all troubles he got us into."

Barely few second later a click echoed in a corridor and a loud thump followed with a very painful groans afterwards. Shura stood still for a moment before her mind processed the view ahead of her. With each passing second a more and more visible vein appeared on her forehead.

Rin on the other hand kept on caressing his bumped head, his tail uncurling from around his torso and popping out from collar.

"Shit!" he cried out, looking frantically around – in hopes nobody saw that. With tears in corners of his eyes, he glared at his older companion. "Why not warn when you're getting out?!"

Shura chuckled darkly, leaning down towards Rin. A very dark aura radiating around her. "Do ye know..?" she stated dangerously. "That eavesdropping is not healthy? One might get hurt when caught red-handed."

At that Rin smiled – or rather tried to. Playing it off, he laughed aloud – one hand waving playfully. "I happened to come by just now..."

Shura however did not believe him, standing upright and sighing. "Whatever" she shrugged the matter off and continued to step over stunned Rin. When she was already on the corridor, she walked away nonchalantly. However she couldn't help but to throw a sly, "Rin-kun, shut yer mouth or ye gonna catch a fly..." over her shoulder.

Rin's senses kicked in right then and he jumped to his feet, his tail now completely wiggling it's way out from under shirt to flail around.

"Shura-san!" he shouted but upon seeing her disappearing figure, he resigned from trying to get her attention. Actually that reminded him of the reason why he came over there in the first place. With a sweep of his tail he jumped and scrambled into headmaster's office, securely shutting the doors behind him.

With a sweatdrop he sighed, hoping that nobody saw his tail.

"It's nice of you to drop in, Okumura-kun" welcomed Mephisto, smiling. His hands curled together while he waited for Rin to acknowledge his presence – which he did with a quick turn and frown. "I believe you're here to deliver your sword..."

At that exact moment Rin sapped angrily and stepped closer towards his forever-enemy. He'd never call Mephisto a friend, not in a million years. "Yeah, I came here for that..." he reached back and slipped Kurikara from his shoulders. He threw it unceremoniously on a desk with a loud thump. "You found a way to fix it then?"

Mephisto eyed the heavy sword before his eyes glanced back at teen. "You may say that."

"Huh?" Rin's mouth hang open, he was very surprised to hear that. "But..." he wondered aloud, blinking. "But I've heard the metal it was made off is impossible to get... Well, more like non-existent anymore." His brows furrowed, curiosity eating at him. "Then how do you want to repair it, clown?"

Mephisto smiled, his slanted eyes narrowing a bit. By now, he was smiling quite devilishly. "You heard good" he agreed simply but then stated just as clearly as a day, "However you don't need such strong material anymore."

"What do ye mean by that?"

"I mean that we're going to replace your blade" Mephisto finally announced, his lip curling even more. "I'll even send our best Exorcists to deliver Kurikara to one old acquaintance of mine, who's happen to be our best shot in supplying our forces."

Rin chuckled and then tsked some, he narrowed his eyes at his companion. "On my ears it sounds more like someone's in your debt... I always knew you're a freak... But to that level, it's beyond me" he mumbled under nose but immediately added much louder, "How old is that acquaintance of yours? Over ninety?"

"No, just bordering his 60s."

Rin frowned blinking. "That's unusual."

Mephisto clucked his tongue, his eyes still watching every move of his pupil. "If that's all..."

But teen had different idea as he suddenly lit up – _a light bulb idea?_ \- and he looked super-over-hyper. "Oi, do you know a young girl – _I think she's new here_ – about this height, very slim, small breasts but with this super-cute face with big, round glasses?"

"Huh?" answered over-consciously Mephisto and blinked. However his hands stilled for a second and his eyebrow twitched ever so slightly. "What girl that might be, Okumura-kun?" he played along.

Rin never spotted a lie nor slight divergence from truth. "Ugh... I don't really know her full name. Just – Kyoko" he declared, smiling.

"Really now?" piped in – _now very interested_ – Mephisto, his fingers twiddling together. "You spoke with her?"

At that Rin pointed his finger victoriously at his headmaster's face. "Ha! So you _do_ know her!"

Mephisto only sighed, as if Rin was dumber than he thought he was. So yeah in reality older Okumura was slightly more oblivious to some things than his younger counterpart.

"Of course I know her" he answered after awhile. "She's my student, also the new Senior Prefect of this Academy – Nakamura Kyoko her name is if I remember correctly." By now he wondered what was going on in Rin's head. "It would be impossible if I didn't know who's a Senior Prefect of my own Academy, now would it?"

Rin's head bobbed with agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense. But still, I haven't seen her around before so she must be new or something..."

"Maybe she is, or maybe you're just too blindly following Yukio to care about other people."

"Wha-" Rin couldn't stop his tail from swashing angrily. "W-what's _that_ supposed to mean, clown?!"

Mephisto chuckled under his nose, cryptic as ever. Looking from a corner of his eye, he also couldn't stop his lips from curling into a smirk. "Well, you're all ' _Yukio this, Yukio that_ ' nowadays. If I didn't know better I would say that is early stage of a brocon."

Mortified by Mephisto's speech, Rin turned first pale then blue and finally settled with a pale-pink flush over his nose and cheeks. So yeah, he might've been captivated by his brother's ' _state_ ' but it was normal to want and see his sibling, wasn't it?

"What are you-! D-don't twist facts, you stupid clown! Leave mine and Yukio's life out of your moe-moe otaku fetishes!"

"I never said that you _are_ a brocon, Okumura-kun."

Rin's flailing about slowed down, until he stopped completely. Now with a tiny flush over his cheeks, he sighed. "I hope you mean it."

"Of course... however" Mephisto checked his big, pink-purple wrist-watch "as much as I want to continue our little _tête-à-tête_ , you need to go now, Okumura-kun. I have important guest to talk with, if you don't mind then..." he nodded towards doors – very politely – and Rin frowned, crossing arms.

"Oh-kay then" Rin turned on heel, his tail swinging... and he stopped, sweatdropping. Crookedly he turned side-ways towards Mephisto – once again mortified by what he needed to do. "Ugh... Can you turn around for a second?"

Mephisto narrowed his eyes, pouting. "Why should I?"

"U-uh... I need to..." Rin motioned to his tail and gulped. As an answer he got a cheeky grin and tilt of a head to the side.

"Go ahead then, I won't bite you."

"Y-yeah b-but..." Rin shuddered, turning around and slowly dropping his jacket to the ground. "It is creepy as fuck" he muttered, gulping once more and reaching for buttons of his shirt. Overall, his embarrassing situation ended quickly, as he couldn't stand burning sensation of Mephisto's eyes on his back. With a last tuck of his shirt's collar, he glowered. "Creepy ass-clown..." and with that stormed out, not looking back once.

Smirk adorned Mephisto's face while he mulled over interesting events of to-day. There was a lot of going on, that was for sure. And it still wasn't everything yet, even more was going to happen and pretty soon as well.

He smiled his usual smile awaiting his guest.

Not long time after a knock echoed on doors and they slid open.

He grinned upon seeing well-known by him bushy head and those cat-like glasses.

"You finally came to see me, I thought you forgot about our meeting."

Girl inhaled, crossing her arms. Her bushy shoulder-length hair bounced with her every step, stance defensible as ever. Her slim hand then pushed higher the glasses onto bridge of her nose, one mole from right cheek staring back at Mephisto. When she spoke there was mock-tone to her voice but no malice whatsoever, it even seemed she was used to talking back to him like that for a long, long time now.

"Well, how could I forget" she said, eyes point-blank on Mephisto's face. " _Uncle_."


	4. Chapter 4

In the mocking darkness surrounding Okumura Rin, he sighed loudly – his eyes pinned onto that daunting crystal. It was few months since he learned the truth, or as much as he could get of it. Of course he was happy and all, Yukio was alive after all yet some very unpleasant thought kept nagging him at the back of his head.

Yukio was trapped and there was no omissing that fact in any way.

With days passing on, some mornings changing too quickly into evenings, hours literally flying away – there was that stupid hopelessness he felt every time he'd walk out that chamber, his back turning on his twin.

Silly bond he shared with Yukio seemed even more trivial now that he thought about it. Was he really that naïve to think it would change anything? Well, to be honest, he did actually. He kept on holding onto it even now, gazing somehow listlessly at goddamn prison his brother was in.

Oh, there was also a fact that he'd keep on rambling about everything and nothing while he felt like it. The first time he'd get his visit, he couldn't stop himself from talking – as if a switch that was turned 'off' came back to life after keeping everything inside for too long. It was a dame that gave away under the pressure of emotions and burdens and... and... life itself and he just needed to talk.

He never got any answer back though. No smartass – way too intelligent – comeback at his childish antics, just... silence.

Barely a presence of his twins soul, drifting on and about around him.

But it was enough for Rin.

At least for some time.

"...and you know what? I'm getting tired of this one-sided conversations I have with you" he spoke, eyes narrowing at irritating pieces of crystal that surrounded his twin. He'd really give everything - even his soul - to hear even one-worded reply; but tough luck, Yukio's light only shone silently in the chamber, it's rays shading lightly Rin's face. Fussing a bit, he huffed and changed his sitting position – his legs spread widely while his hands kept him upright. "Ne, four-eyes" he snipped, brows furrowing. "Get your priorities straight and wake up already!"

When once again he haven't got any kind of answer he jumped to his feet grumpily. Hands clenching and unclenching he calmed before speaking again, brushing hand trough his bluish hair.

"Ye know what? I've passed this year tests" he said proudly, smirking to himself. "I didn't even need your help with them" at that he crossed him arms and closed eyes, contemplating his achievement in a moment of pride.

"Of course you did. I think even Amaimon could reach that barely-minimum scores to pass them though" piped in Mephisto, appearing from nowhere – apparently - and smirking. As it happened he heard the little comment young Okumura just made and simply couldn't resist to agitate him some. And it worked like a charm.

Rin snapped back to reality and turned clearly annoyed towards their visitor. "That was a low blow even for you fluff-clown" he barked, now in full-pissed mode. If only looks could kill...

Mephisto shrugged it off nonchalantly, like he always did. From between his smirking mouth, tongue darted outside and licked his lips. "Ne, Rin-kun I have a new toy for you" he said, cleverly snapping his fingers together and materializing a well-known red material with a string around it.

Upon seeing that Rin temporarily forgot what got a rise out from him and concentrated over looking at his Kurikara that Mephisto held in hand. "You managed to fix it?" he didn't believe it, yet he scrambled towards his mentor in a nano-second. His hands itched to touch it, to see the new blade. He almost could feel blood in his veins sing from excitement.

Mephisto however smirked some more, holding Kurikara up above his own head – a way too far away for young esquire to reach it.

Rin of course being his - sometime a bit dimwitted - self, jumped upwards trying to get it. "What the hell? Why don't you just give it to me?" he rambled, jumping around more.

The image in itself was too funny for Mephisto and he laughed, his free hand covering his mouth. "You don't realise how cute you look right now, Rin-kun" he managed and stunned young Okumura – who stopped immediately his advances and stuttered, blushing slightly.

"Yer acting funny lately, clown!" he stepped back from Mephisto, who kept on staring him down. That unnerved him even more. "What's the point of coming here with my Kurikara if you're not willing to give it back?!"

At that Mephisto chuckled some and slightly towered over clearly frustrated boy. It was interesting to see him acting like some shy ten-year-old when he never actually did anything, now did he? "I am willing as you said but I never heard please" he mocked him, once again licking his lips.

Rin gulped, while sweating suddenly. "P-please, clown?" he stuttered from between his chattering teeth. God, he felt strange with Mephisto looming over him like some leech trying to suck the life out of him.

"Good try" he got as an answer and Mephisto's hand lowered, holding sword for him to take.

At that point in time, Rin - still sweating, even more now - glanced between the sword and Mephisto - a few times - before he acted and slowly reached for it. When his palms however attached themselves to his oh-so-precious sword he felt suddenly pull of the gravity try to suck him back down. Before he knew it, his face was centimetres from Mephisto's laughing one. Ah, there came also ache in his armpits and he risked a glance towards his feet.

Yep, he was definitely dangling like a prick.

Mephisto found their situation more than hilarious but figured he wanted to torment boy even some more and to achieve that he started to move his arm - completely unfazed by weight or anything - up and down. Rin's sights on the other hand kept on changing between Mephisto's face and his chest and felt his silent rage slowly resurface. Fortunately before that boil would meet it's peek he found himself being sprawled on his hurting backside with sword lying not too far away from him.

"Now that was a good exercise for me, we should do it more often."

Rin blanched but also winced painfully when he stood up, Kurikara in one hand, other on his back. "Your jokes aren't funny."

"They are to me" answered back Mephisto, now smiling Cheshire-cat smile. "Open your present, Okumura-kun."

"It's not a present if it was mine in the first place" remarked Rin, sending a glare towards his mentor and then continuing on sliding red material off his sword. Handle and sheathe were exactly as he remembered them. He delicately opened the sheathe and took out his new Kurikara. Bluish light reflected on a perfectly made blade in all it's glory. "I-it's like new... How do you managed to do that?" he asked with awe, he really didn't think he was going to see his blade to be of use any time again, if ever.

Mephisto nodded to himself, proudly. "I told you I have an acquaintance of mine..." he cleared his throat, changing the subject smoothly. "Try it."

Well, he didn't have to repeat it twice to Rin. Without beating an eye lash, he moved the blade both directions, feeling the smoothness of it cutting through air. His sword felt lighter, more agile and by that somewhat easier to follow after. A loud cough suddenly dragged him back to the matter at hand and the handle slipped through his fingers, sword clacking to the ground.

Furiously he turned at his spectator and fumed. "You scared me half to death, fluff-clown!"

At that Mephisto sighed, now somehow annoyed by youngster antics. "I've asked you to try it, didn't I?"

Slightly dumbfounded by request, he spluttered. "I just did..."

"Not like that, I've asked you to try it with your flames on" explained simply Mephisto. Really though, Rin could be such a handful at times.

Upon hearing such words, Rin stiffened in embarrassment but played it off, shrugging and laughing ironically out loud. "Of course! I knew it, I was gonna to!"

And with that his hand shot towards his Kurikara. Once he got his grip on it, he concentrated. His flames, they were little tricky buggers if he needed to say it for himself. He wasn't entirely sure how he managed to call them on or off, but he figured as much that they were linked to his emotions. As much as he remembered his flames would show up every time some very strong emotion would strike him - be it rage, fury, sadness, you name it. Fuck he even caught himself once on fire when jacking off, but it wasn't that anybody would know and besides that one accident happened way before his powers were unsealed from Kurikara.

However right now with Mephisto staring at him with his slanted eyes, so intently he felt more uncomfortable than angry. And he needed angry, or sad, or... He sighed and only then realised that he was almost burning holes into his new blade with his eyes. Frowning a bit, he shook his head and closed them.

He needed to reach towards that thin line between himself and a demon inside. It wasn't easy so-to-speak and he found it really tiring to do when not under any pressure, and aside from Mephisto there was no danger nor any near-death situation looming over him, so he found his awakening a bit more challenging than most times.

Seconds passed but he couldn't reach it, he felt the power humming under his skin yet it was still so far away to grasp.

Trying once more, his hands clutched his sword more. He wasn't to give up, not when he was so close. And just as he finally brushed against that barrier, when he walked past it he felt something tug at his pinky so strongly he was almost sucked into it.

Before he came back to awareness, he realised a few things. Firstly - he was engulfed in his blue flames - secondly - his sword didn't melt away - thirdly - his pinky felt like falling off, probably to cut out blood-circulation - and lastly - a loud crunch-sound filled the chamber. In an instant his body turned around as in a faze and he saw a huge crack appearing in a crystal that held Yukio.

As he turned around to ask Mephisto what's happening, he only found older demon standing stoically, completely impassive of the happening. Did that meant Yukio was waking up? At such thought his heart beaten stronger, blood flew faster in veins. When another crack sounded, he stared at the strange occurrence half-mortified and half-mesmerised.

The crack kept on getting bigger, smaller veins of it slowly darting around whole crystal and just as Rin thought there was no more space for them to spread he felt another tug on his little finger and hissed from sudden pain.

"Wha-"

Kurikara once again clashed to the ground and Rin found himself clutching his hurting hand into his free one. The pain was radiating from his finger, leisurely spreading upwards.

"Mephi-!" he shouted, enveloped in his flames but didn't get any answer as entire world completely shattered around him in a black and blue.

Sharp crystals shot out in an imitation of an explosion, catching Rin and Mephisto on it's trajectories. Slim body of Okumura Yukio however didn't float nor stayed put by vines that seemingly kept him upward but slumped with a loud - probably painful - thud onto dark ground.

Whole situation took Rin five seconds before he sprung into action, jumping towards his twin with his flames disappearing bit by bit. Not caring about stings of pain coming from fresh wounds, Rin gathered Yukio's limp head into his hands and caressed it lovingly, while at the same time he was inwardly loosing it.

"Y-Yukio!" he shouted, moving his twins soaked - where did the water came from? - head between his palms. "YUKIO!" he repeated himself, letting his hands roam freely if not somewhat shyly over his twins face, arms and chest. But, once he put his head over the heart he gently breathed out, Yukio's heartbeat was strong. And just like that, he happily looked into his twins sleeping face and couldn't resist but touch their foreheads together and hug limp body to himself.

His little bubble of joy was pierced however by loud cough and a snide comment.

"I might just take back my statement about you not being a brocon."

Rin didn't care though but still felt his cheeks get warm, too warm. With a flustered face he snapped back. Any consequences be damned. "I don't give a shit what you think. I'm just happy that... he's back. Yukio's back."

And yes, said boy slept soundly in Rin's arms, completely unaware of the outside world or anything that happened in the last few months. As if to confirm his condition, Yukio picked that exact moment to sigh sleepily and turn a bit more towards warmness that surrounded his exhausted body.

Rin at that felt suddenly self-concious, especially when Yukio's head nested at the crook of his neck. That one movement plus that prying eyes of Mephisto took all to make him fluster over the little fact of touching his twin (even if just to keep him warm).

Sudden chillness of the room started easily to seep through bodies. Rin who was acting on pure adrenalin now felt so cold, freezing almost. On the other side stood Mephisto, staring two boys down, thinking. When he finally figured whatever he was getting over, his eyes shone devilishly and he chuckled.

"Now that I see two of you actually are inseparable, I think it's as good start to our little training session as ever. Two of you, together, alone. Yes, I think it's going to be perfect."

There was muttering of which Rin couldn't catch much and he frowned.

"Ne, Rin-kun?" asked Mephisto, his pointed teeth coming to light. "Do you want to actually become an older brother?"

Rin sputtered. "W-what's that supposed to mean, fluff-clown?! I _am_ an older brother!"

Mephisto just chuckled again this time though he crossed his arms, oh how good it felt to bite into boy's pride. "I know you always wanted to be looked upon like Okumura-sensei..." he paused so every word could successively sink in. "Well, I'll get you have a chance at being one then. I think it will do you good since you're more in-tune with your inner demon than Yukio over there is."

Rin's hands subconsciously tightened around Yukio's form. "What d-do you mean?"

"I mean" Mephisto continued his little speech, deliberately coming down towards two Okumura boys, one sprawled under the other. "That since school is over, Okumura-sensei awakened, and you apparently know what you're doing with your flames; then it's time to start your second trial."

"Second? Trial..!" Rin snapped. "How many trial's there is for me..?!"

Mephisto laughed and then - to Rin's utmost horror - ruffled his hair. "Not many, but for now I believe you're going to be Okumura-sensei for Yukio and not the other way around... Well, at least for some time." He then patted the boy on his head, ignoring a very loud growl that was aimed at him. "Well, off you go for now then, I'll get in touch with you when he's fully awake." And with a last pat he smirked, his umbrella coming to hang above their heads, moving in a circle motion. "Eins, zwei, drei..."

"H-hey-?!"

However Rin's sudden outrage was cut short by familiar - by now – shift of perspectives and world morphing before his own two eyes. Well, he got accustomed to the strange motions by now, a months to go by this - and only this - way to visit Yukio made him somehow resistant to constant flip-and-flopping of contents of his stomach.

Yet even now, he kept on thinking that those spinning motions Mephisto did for his own twisted way of pleasuring himself just to see him heave on the first time he felt them.

The best way to avoid it was to close his eyes, and he compiled by doing so just the second he felt himself being tossed into Assiah. It was uncomfortable at first with his hands clutching at Yukio, something digging painfully into his side and feeling his backside once again being thrown to the ground, but beyond these trivial things he felt also relieved when first gust of warm wind swept his slightly sweaty hair into air.

With a loud, aggravated inhale he finally opened his eyes and looked around afterwards. Mephisto threw them just onto their Old Boy's Dormitories doorstep so-to-speak. Silent sun rays fell over their bodies and Rin was forced to squint his eyes from too much brightness, god his eyes burned.

Grunting a bit, he managed to change his position and have a good look over his twin.

Yukio was still sleeping soundly, his chest moving up and down in a regular breaths. And honestly that was everything Rin needed to feel happy right now, and just like that he let himself step into big-brother role easily. Scrambling some, he reached towards his twin to pick him up but only then realised that something was still digging into his side and he glanced back at bothering him thing.

He was kinda surprised that it was his Kurikara, fully clothed in red material, ready to slip onto shoulder as he did in an instant. Just then he realised that with everything that went in Mephisto's pocket dimension, he completely forgot about it. Still he wasn't going to admit it to himself but all he had his mind on was Yukio.

Sighing somewhat, he figured that with Kurikara resting on his shoulders he was ready to step forward and act his role, which he should act from the beginning but never really managed. With steady hands, he lifted Yukio's body into his arms and chanced a look at his face, now rolling around to rest at his chest – just above where his heart was, and he smiled shakily.

Rin wasn't exactly sure what was going on with him, why was he acting so strangely around Yukio? It's not as if he was a brocon, no. He wasn't and he was certain of that but still he caught himself smiling at Yukio's peaceful face upon which sun rays fell so naturally, lighting his always stuck-up face some.

He wasn't going to think that his twin looked cute, no, nope.

But he found himself thinking so anyway because Yukio did look cute. Without his glasses and those always worried-about-you expression upon his cheek, he looked exactly like the kid he used to be when they were younger.

With a sigh escaping him, Rin furrowed his brows in a silent contemplating. "What I'm gonna do with you now?" he asked himself well-knowing he's not going to get any answer. After while though, after another gust of wind ruffled his hair, he finally loosened up some and smiled, eyes locking on their place. "Well, I can just as well get inside and get you comfortable..." he mumbled, taking his first step.

He never knew that he was just nearing walking into completely new life that was waiting ahead for him and Yukio. Life of a boy who would soon enough fall in love with a last person he'd think he would (or should).


End file.
